Portable heating attachment for fireplaces



Patented Mar. 12, 1946 PORTABLE ATTACHMENT FOR FIREPLACES Edgar S. Rumery, Gardner,- Mass.

Application February 15, 1943, Serial No. 475,902

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a portable one piece unit heating device which is adapted to be set directly into a fireplace for the purpose of circulating heated air from the fireplace into a room in an efficient manner without the necessity for any constructional changes in the fireplace.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a unitary portable heater attachment to be placed in a fireplace, said heater comprising spaced air chests each of which has a cold air inlet and a heated air exit, the heated air" exits being enclosed and connected by a hot air emitting conduit which extends between and connects the air chests in such a manner as to provide a rigid construction capable of being handled as a unit; the provision of a fire place attachment as above described including further rigidifying elements for the portable unit including a flamecontrol battle which is located at the rear edges of the air chests, whereas the aforementioned conduit is located at the front edges of the air chests, the rear of the air chests being otherwise open and unconnected; and the provision of further rigidifying elements connected between the air chests and comprising a grate.

Further features of the invention include a damper device located between the grate and the hearth, said damper being useful for the purpose of controlling the draft which normally occurs in an upward direction through the grate; and a closure device which in. combination with the aforementioned damper may be used to close up the entire fireplace so as to provide for slower burning of the fuel in the grate, such as for instance during the night when it is desired to continue the fire until morning, and to prevent loss of heat escaping from the room up through the chimney.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the drawing in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the invention and showing the same applied to a fireplace;

Fig. 2' is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing the manner in which the closure may be applied to the device;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial section On line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view of the closure with part broken away, and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

As disclosed in the drawing, this invention comprises a pair of spaced vertical air chests made of sheet iron or the like and having front walls 10 provided with flanges l2 for overlapping the fireplace opening; each air chest having exterior wall M which is set at an angle as shown in Fig. 3 to conform in general to the usual shape of a fireplace. Each air chest is also provided with an inside wall I 6, walls It being adjacent a fire in the fireplace and providing the heating surfaces for warming air within the chests;

Each air" chest is provided adjacent to the bottom of its front wall It with an air inlet opening [8. These openings may be provided with grills and. if desired a small fan could be used to increase the intake draft of air; Directly above each air inlet I provide a baflle 20 which extends upwardly toward the rear of the air chests. As seen in Fig. 2 baffle 20 stops considerably short of the rearwall 22 ofthe air chest andas indicated by the arrows in Fig, 2 the incoming: air will be directed towards the rear wall 22' and then upwardly towards a second bafil'e 24, the latter extending. from the rear wall towards front-walls Ill. Theincoming warming air flowsvupwardly pastv the free end of baffl'e 24 adjacent the front wall and then is directed once again towards the rear wall 22 by means of a third bafile 26 similar. to bafile 20 but being spaced thereabove. A fourth baflle 2B is arranged at the upper rear corner of each edge to provide a smoother flow of the heated air forwardly toward the heated. air exit opening 30'. Each inner wall [6 of each air chest is provided with an opening 30 to emit the heated air in a. direction toward the other air chest.

A conduit 32 connects the spaced air chests and this conduit includes the openings 30 so that all of the heated air will fiow into the conduit from both air chests. The conduit 32 may be provided with a central partition 34 and a hot air exit 36 is provided at each side of the partition. Exits 36 may be provided with grills if desired. Curved baffles 38 may be used at various corners of the air chests and conduit to provide a smoother fiow of air.

From the above it will be seen that cold air will normally fiow through openings I8 into each air chest and because of the baflles in the air chest the air will be passed back and forth to come into contact with the entire surfaces of the interior heating walls l6 of the air chests, and when the warmed air rises to the top of the chests it will be directed into conduit 32 and will flow out through the openings 35. As thus far described the invention discloses a complete portable unitary fireplace air heater and circulator which may be merely set into the fireplace straddling the usual grate or andirons. The space heating efilciency of any fireplace will be improved at least 50% and probably more and there are no changes necessary in the fireplace construction. By the same token in the air heating and circulating unit as above described may be placed in or removed from the fireplace as desired.

I also provide a flame-controlling baffle 40 which is secured to the walls [6 of the air chests and this baflle extends upwardly and forwardly from rear walls 22 toward the center of the unit as will be seen from Fig. 2. Baflle 40 directs flame and hot air rising through and from the fire towards conduit 32 so as to further heat the preheated air issuing from the air chests into the conduit. Obviously the smoke and flame will slip past the upper end of baffle 40 and will proceed upwardly to the flue between the bafile and conduit 32. At the same time, air heated by radiant heat issuing from the fireplace will be directed by the draft from openings 36 and the hot air in front of the fireplace will be carried along at least in part thereby.

I may also provide a grate 42 of any desired form which extends between the inner walls l6 and further rigidifies the construction so that if made with the grate, the unit will provide the necessary grate as well as a heater and circulator.

Between the grate and the hearth I also provide a damper which, in the present disclosure, consists of a pair of doors 44 each of which is hinged on an inner wall I6 adjacent its front edge. This damper may be opened or closed merely by opening or closing doors 44 to control the draft through the grate.

For the purpose of shutting off all draft and. to prevent air in the room from escaping up the chimney I provide a closure plate 46 which may be detachably clipped to the top of doors 44 and side walls I 6 by any means desired such as spring clips 48. Other means could be utilized to detachably secure the closure 46 in place, such as pins and brackets, etc.

The bafile 40 may be provided with cut-away portions 50 at the side edges next to inner walls l6 of the air chests. These openings provide drafts at the inner walls to bring the flame and heat to and in contact with the inner walls for further more efficient operation, and to allow escape of smoke so that the top edge of bafile 40 may closer approach the conduit 32 and consequently serve to heat it more highly and to increase its draft effect on the air heated by radiant heat.

From the above it will be clear that I have provided a relatively simple and uncomplicated air heating and circulating device for fireplaces by which the efficiency of the fire may be greatly increased. It is to be noted that there is no air chest provided at the rear of the device as it has been found that such an air chest is unnecessary and in many cases it takes up too much space leaving too small a space for the grate. Also I contemplate providing a small fan to increase the draft of air through the inlets I8, but in most cases such a fan would not be necessary. It has been found that a device of the nature disclosed will provide heat even in large rooms at all points in the room, and the differential in temperature between a point adjacent the fireplace and the most remote point in the room will vary between zero and but a few degrees dependent on weather and wind conditions.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

Heating attachment for fireplaces comprising a single portable unit adapted for insertion directly in the fireplace, said unit including a pair of spaced. vertical air-intake chests having a cold air inlet opening at the bottom of each chest and a heated air exit opening in a side wall of each chest, said heated air exit openings facing each other, a heated air conduit connecting said chests and including both of said heated air exit openings. said conduit being provided with heated air exit openings. said conduit securing said chests together to form a single portable unit fireplace attachment, said conduit being located at corresponding parts of the chests at the front of the'fireplace. and a forwardly inclined baffle between the chests and connected to each chest and securing said chests together at the rear parts of the latter, both conduit and baffle rigidifying the unit, said bafile refleeting radiant heat outwardly of the fireplace and towardthe conduit to further heat the air in the latter, said baflle being provided with openings adjacent the chests to assist chimney draft.

EDGAR. s. RUMERY. 

